Voted this morning at a nearby elementary school. Trying to figure out where to park was a bit of a hassle with all the kids getting dropped off by parents. Not too long a line though.
In Texas we vote on the county tax-assessor position, and I voted for the Libertarian candidate mostly because their philosophy is directly against the existence of that position, which reminded me of Ron Swanson, who amuses me. Other than that I mostly voted Democrats for national offices and Democrats or Greens for local stuff.
I voted this morning, but not with Rym because he had to hurry and go to work. I walked two blocks to the local High School, and it was pretty fast even though the old ladies took forever to find my name. I was glad there were a lot of young people working the polls. In my district, it was all Scantron style. Apparently you aren't supposed to get a sticker?
Hauled my whole family out to vote and let my little brother help me fill out the ballot. Then we bought $20 worth of stuff at the bake sale.
I like the idea of bake sales at polling places, then I can exercise my right to vote and buy delicious banana bread at the same time!
Ah, yes, the all important 8th amendment: the right to eat baked goods, introduced due to restrictions on wheat imports under British rule, forcing Americans to give up such delicacies.
Lots out voting and had a hour wait. Lots of parents keeping their kids busy with iphones.
Overall only had one page of legalize this time. Our electronic voting machines I don't mind they had a paper backup that you can see what was recorded on the slip. Not as much funny business with the issues as last election. Cross fingers that there doesn't need to be another recount in Ohio this year.
Got a sticker too but they started running short about an hour before the polls closing.
We had soup and sandwiches at my polling place. I choose the better of the choices french onion soup and half a open face steak.
Voted!
I ended up having to go to 3 different locations to find my correct location. Once was my fault. The other one I blame on them.
I also had to vote in a church. Where can I complain?
Church also but they went out of their way to remove every religious item and all signage.
AHA is taking submissions if you feel laws were violated at your location
legal@americanhumanist.org
If your local polling place is in a church, please contact the AHA’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center[2] at legal@americanhumanist.org[3] if you feel that your polling place is not a fair and neutral place to vote and/or you witness any of the following (where it’s legal, also send a picture of how it looks on election day, if possible):
any evidence of politicking by the church directed at voters at the polling place
if there are church members on premises on election day speaking to voters or handing out literature
if the part of the church which voters use is neutral in appearance or if it instead contains significant religious elements
I've gone with my mom to vote in a church as a kid. No real big deal. None of the church's religious staff was visible there as far as I could tell. Sometimes churches are just the most convenient location in a neighborhood without any other buildings large enough to hold all the voting equipment. Typically it would be in a church basement or some other part of the building with minimal religious decoration.
(srs fox, just let us link to high quality clips to your IP)
But, for real, I've heard people say there are serious legal impediments to third parties in the US but it seems like this article is the only thing I can find and while it doesn't seem crazy, it is 30 years old, but then I guess this isn't a new problem.
The tl;dr is that the Electoral College, Ballet Access Restriction Laws and Campaign Finance laws (as well as various sore loser laws and other hurdles) make it extremely difficult if not virtually impossible of any third party to make political headway and there is no political capital in changing that.
Instead of sending a message by casting a third party vote, these legal and bureaucratic hedge mazes seem like the things that need to be overcome for real change to ever happen.
Comments
In Texas we vote on the county tax-assessor position, and I voted for the Libertarian candidate mostly because their philosophy is directly against the existence of that position, which reminded me of Ron Swanson, who amuses me. Other than that I mostly voted Democrats for national offices and Democrats or Greens for local stuff.
Boom.
By absentee ballot a week ago. Which is nice, because I'm in Wisconsin today.
We did get a big news crew turnout this morning when Scott Brown showed up to vote.
I ended up having to go to 3 different locations to find my correct location. Once was my fault. The other one I blame on them.
I also had to vote in a church. Where can I complain?
I like the idea of bake sales at polling places, then I can exercise my right to vote and buy delicious banana bread at the same time!
Overall only had one page of legalize this time. Our electronic voting machines I don't mind they had a paper backup that you can see what was recorded on the slip. Not as much funny business with the issues as last election. Cross fingers that there doesn't need to be another recount in Ohio this year.
Got a sticker too but they started running short about an hour before the polls closing.
We had soup and sandwiches at my polling place. I choose the better of the choices french onion soup and half a open face steak. Church also but they went out of their way to remove every religious item and all signage.
AHA is taking submissions if you feel laws were violated at your location
legal@americanhumanist.org
If your local polling place is in a church, please contact the AHA’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center[2] at legal@americanhumanist.org[3] if you feel that your polling place is not a fair and neutral place to vote and/or you witness any of the following (where it’s legal, also send a picture of how it looks on election day, if possible):
- any evidence of politicking by the church directed at voters at the polling place
- if there are church members on premises on election day speaking to voters or handing out literature
- if the part of the church which voters use is neutral in appearance or if it instead contains significant religious elements
Taken from their facebook page.Rym.
But, for real, I've heard people say there are serious legal impediments to third parties in the US but it seems like this article is the only thing I can find and while it doesn't seem crazy, it is 30 years old, but then I guess this isn't a new problem.
The tl;dr is that the Electoral College, Ballet Access Restriction Laws and Campaign Finance laws (as well as various sore loser laws and other hurdles) make it extremely difficult if not virtually impossible of any third party to make political headway and there is no political capital in changing that.
Instead of sending a message by casting a third party vote, these legal and bureaucratic hedge mazes seem like the things that need to be overcome for real change to ever happen.